Capsule salvage machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for stripping capsules from a strip package having a backing sheet and a pocket sheet has a pair of rollers. One roller is for contact with the backing sheet and the other roller is for contact with the pocket sheet. The rollers are driven in opposite directions to advance a strip package through the rollers and rupture the pockets in the pocket sheet to release the capsules which are carried away by a chute leading to a conveyor.

[111. 3,744,214 [451 July 10,1973

United States Patent [191 Dolce et a].

2,624,164 11/1953 Donofrio........................... 53/184 X 2,152,1013/1939 Scherer............................. 53/184 X CAPSULE SALVAGEMACHINE [75] Inventors: Leonard J. Dolce; Henry W. Greer,

both of Philadelphia, Pa.; George E.

Ma t l], R d NJ, Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee [73] Assignee: SmithKline & French Laboratories, Attorney-8mm Hardmg Barley & FonmerPhiladelphia, Pa.

Sept. 28, 1971 [22] Filed:

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2,663,129 12/1953 D0nofrio........................... 53/184 X 4 Claims,7 Drawing Figures PATENIED Jul 1 9 SHEU'IUF 3 INVENTORS LEONARD J. DOLGEHENRY W. GREER 8 .GEORGE E. MARTELL ATTORNEYS PAIENTED JUL 1 mm smurfsINVENTORS LEONARD J. DOLCE HENRY W. GREER a mm om 0v Nu GEORGE E. MARTELL ATTORNEYS PATENIE Jun 0 ma mum's INVENTORS LEONARD J. DOLCE HENRY w.GREER, a GEORGE E. MARTELL av ATTORNEYS CAPSULE SALVAGE MACHINEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known to package capsules such aspharmaceutical capsules in strip packages having a backing sheet such ascardboard, and a pocket sheet of, for example, polyvinyl chloride,providing a pocket portion to confine each capsule between the pocketsheet and the backing sheet. Defects such as, for example, a rupturedpocket or a missing capsule, occur with some frequency in such packagingrequiring its rejection. The present invention by providing for theready stripping of the capsules from the strip package results in verylarge savings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A machine for stripping capsules from a strippackage having a backing sheet and a pocket sheet has a roller forcontact with the pocket sheet and a roller for contact with the backingsheet. Advantageously the roller contacting the pocket sheet has adiameter in the range of from about 20 percent to about 125 percent ofthe maximum diameter of the capsules, said roller diameter beinggenerally in the range of from about 0.5 inch to about 0.1 inch. Theroller contacting the backing sheet'has a diameter which issubstantially greater than the maximum diameter of the capsulesadvantageously at least six times the diameter of the roller contactingthe pocket sheet and may be as much larger as is convenient. The rollersare driven in opposite directions to advance a strip package through therollers to rupture the pockets and release the capsules. The linearspeed of the outer peripheries of the two rollers is substantially thesame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a right side elevation of amachine in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the rollers illustrating thestripping of a capsule from a pocket;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of astrip package containing capsules;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 2 with the coverremoved;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the roller portion of the machine as shownin FIG. 6, partially broken away.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT in FIG. 5, motor 6 drives a pulley 9 carrying abelt 10 which is connected to a pulley l2 fixedly secured to shaft 14journaled in frame 16 mounted on base 4. Shaft 14 drives sprocket 18carrying chain 20, which in turn is connected to sprocket 22 which isfixedly secured to metal roller 24, which is journaled in frame 16.Roller 24 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of thecapsules to be salvaged.

A gear 28 fixedly secured to shaft 14 drives gear 30 fixedly secured toshaft 32, which is journaled in frame 16. Shaft 32 drives a sprocket 34,which drives a chain 36 which in turn drives sprocket 38 fixedly securedto shaft 40 journaled in frame 16 and carrying a rubber roller 42. Thegearing is such as to provide for the rotation of the outer periphery ofroller 42 at the same linear speed as the outer periphery of roller 24.

A cover 46 mounted on base 4 and frame 16 covers the above detailedmoving parts. Cover 46 has an opening 48 (see FIG. 6) which is partiallyclosed by a flap 50 pivotally secured to the top of cover 46 at 52 andhaving a downwardly extending deflector portion 54. Flap 50 also has anopening 55 (FIG. 4). A guide plate 57 secured to cover 46 extends to aposition close to roller 42.

A chute 56 extends downwardly from a point adjacent roller 24 to a beltconveyor indicated at 58. Chute 56 has a screen portion 59 to permitanymaterial spilling out of a damaged capsule to drop through in order tokeep conveyor 58 clean. Below rollers 24 and 42 is an opening 60 (FIG.7) in base 4. A waste container 62 (FIG. I) is positioned below opening60.

Operation The above described machine is employed in salvage operationswith strip packages, such as package 62 shown in FIG. 3, which has abacking sheet 64 and a pocket sheet 66 adhered thereto and providingpocket portions 68 for the containment of hard gelatin capsules 70. Asalvage operation to recover the capsules is necessary when the packageis damaged, for example, by having an opening such as 72 in a pocket.

With switch 8 on and motor 6 running, a strip pack age 62 is insertedthrough opening 55 in flap 50 with the pocket sheet facing in thedirection of chute 56. The package is advanced downwardly to enter thelower edge thereof between driven rollers 24 and 42. By the operation ofmotors 6, pulley 9, belt 10, pulley 21, shaft 14, sprocket 18, chain20and sprocket 22, roller 24 is rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6tending to pull the package 62 downwardly. Similarly, shaft 14 alsodrives gear 28, gear 30, shaft 32, sprocket 34, chain 36, sprocket 38,and shaft 40 to rotate roller 42 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6.

As roller 24 engages a pocket 68, it urges the capsule against thepocket 68 placing the pocket under sufficient tension to rupture it.When the pocket ruptures, the capsule pops away from the backing sheetinto chute S6 in which it travels by gravity down to conveyor 58 onwhich it will normally be inspected and, if satisfactory, recovered forrepackaging. When all the capsules 70 have been stripped in this mannerfrom package 62 and the package has completed its passage throughrollers 24, 42, it drops through opening 60 into waste container 62.

The above described embodiment is intended to be illustrative and notlimiting.

We claim: l. A machine for stripping capsules from a strip packagehaving a backing sheet and pocket sheet comprismg:

a roller for contact with the pocket sheet, a roller for contact withthe backing sheet, the diameter of the first mentioned roller being inthe range of from about 20 percent to about percent of the maximumdiameter of the capsules,

the diameter of said second mentioned roller being greater than thediameter of the first mentioned roller, and

means to rotate said rollers to advance the package through the rollers.

3 4 2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the tially the samelinear rate of speed. diameter of the second mentioned roller is atleast six 4. A machine in accordance with claim 2 in which the times thediameter of the first mentioned roller. outer peripheries of the rollersare driven at substan- 3. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in whichthe tially the same linear rate of speed. outer peripheries of therollers are driven at substan- 5

1. A machine for stripping capsules from a strip package having abacking sheet and pocket sheet comprising: a roller for contact with thepocket sheet, a roller for contact with the backing sheet, the diameterof the first mentioned roller being in the range of from about 20percent to about 125 percent of the maximum diameter of the capsules,the diameter of said second mentioned roller being greater than thediameter of the first mentioned roller, and means to rotate said rollersto advance the package through the rollers.
 2. A machine in accordancewith claim 1 in which the diameter of the second mentioned roller is atleast six times the diameter of the first mentioned roller.
 3. A machinein accordance with claim 1 in which the outer peripheries of the rollersare driven at substantially the same linear rate of speed.
 4. A machinein accordance with claim 2 in which the outer peripheries of the rollersare driven at substantially the same linear rate of speed.